Surviving Sepsis: How Diagnostics Can Help Improve Outcomes When Every Hour Matters
Sepsis, a life-threatening reaction to an infection, is one of the most urgent challenges in healthcare. Latest data indicates it was responsible for 21 million deaths globally (in 2021).1 Because treatment decisions often need to be made before conventional diagnostic results are available, clinicians frequently face critical decisions with limited information.
Bloodstream infections are a major cause of sepsis and delays in infection-related diagnosis can have serious consequences. Nearly 1 in 5 patients with bloodstream infections receive inappropriate initial treatment, increasing the risk of clinical deterioration and driving higher costs for hospitals and health systems.2
This September, we’re focusing on the theme of Surviving Sepsis: helping advance the solutions, resources and partnerships needed to help healthcare professionals make faster, more informed clinical decisions and improve patient outcomes.
The Value of Faster Answers in Sepsis Care
For patients at risk of sepsis, time matters. Faster diagnostic information can help healthcare teams identify the cause of infection sooner, supporting earlier, better-informed care decisions.
A recent analysis conducted by the Office of Health Economics and commissioned by bioMérieux examined the impact of deploying fast identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (ID/AST) early in the care pathway for patients with bloodstream infections at high risk of sepsis. The analysis covered healthcare systems across the G7 countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom and United States.
The findings suggest that earlier diagnostic insights can improve patient outcomes while generating significant savings for healthcare systems regardless of how each health system is structured or financed.
The analysis also highlights a broader challenge: while diagnostics represent only a small fraction of healthcare spending, their full value is often not captured in traditional reimbursement and value assessment models. These findings reinforce the importance of recognizing diagnostics as a critical component of quality care and antimicrobial stewardship.
Supporting Clinicians with Education and Evidence
The recently published 2026 Surviving Sepsis Campaign Guidelines3 reinforce the importance of early recognition, diagnostic testing, timely treatment, and responsible antimicrobial use through stewardship.
To support awareness and education, bioMérieux is making available resources that highlight the latest evidence and the role of diagnostics in sepsis care, including:
Advancing Awareness Through Global Partnerships
Addressing sepsis requires action across the healthcare ecosystem, from clinicians and laboratories to policymakers, payers, public health leaders and patient advocacy organizations.
bioMérieux is partnering with the Global Sepsis Alliance to help raise awareness of the global burden of sepsis. This collaboration is one example of the broader commitment to drive education, scientific collaboration and public health advocacy.
Behind every sepsis statistic is a patient. By helping healthcare teams access faster, more actionable information, we are working together to build a future where people have a greater opportunity to survive sepsis.
1 Gray A, Chung E, Hsu R et al. Global, regional, and national sepsis incidence and mortality, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis. The Lancet Global Health, 2025.
2 Kadri, S.S., Lai, Y.L., Warner, S., Strich, J.R., Babiker, A., Ricotta, E.E., Demirkale, C.Y., Dekker, J.P., Palmore, T.N., Rhee, C., Klompas, M., Hooper, D.C., Powers, J.H., Srinivasan, A., Danner, R.L. and Adjemian, J., 2021a. Inappropriate Empiric Antibiotic Therapy in Bloodstream Infections at U.S. Hospitals based on Discordant In vitro Susceptibilities: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis of Prevalence, Predictors and Mortality Risk. The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 21(2), pp.241–251. DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30477-1.
3Prescott, H. C., Antonelli, M., Alhazzani, W., et al. (2026). Surviving Sepsis Campaign: International guidelines for management of sepsis and septic shock 2026. Intensive Care Medicine. https://doi. org/10.1007/s00134-026-08361-1
